I am in the building industry and I have recommended pressure assisted toilets to many clients and have installed several myself.

I have quickly read the messages and it seems as if several types of pressure assisted toilets are being talked about. Power Lite and Sloan Flushmate are distinctly different; at the same time Kohler puts out a toilet with Sloan Flushmate.

It is true that the older Kohler pressure assisted toilets have had a lot of problemms. From what I understand from Kohler, they stopped manufacturing these power assisted toilets a little while ago. But they have begun to manufacture them again.

I believe for the average consumer and under ordinary circumstances the toilet that best suites a household that prefers a power assisted toilet is TOTO. They have a system called G-MAX. I personally prefer a power assisted toilet; who wants to flush twice or three times! I installed a Kohler Power Lite for my older parents. Because this bathroom is on the first floor and adjacent to main living spaces, they wanted something very quite but still strong. The Power Lite has a motor and requires electricity and in terms of performance is second best to Sloan Flushmate. The Sloan Flushmate works great but is very noisy; the noise however is over in seconds. If you do not mind the noise, this is great; especially in special situations where your soil pipe has a long run.

Generally, power assisted toilets are installed in above middle scale housing. To be quite honest, no toilet last forever but some last longer than others. My parents aren't rich but the level of renovation that they have done and they money they have spent is definitely upscale or atleast upper middle scale. Upscale and/or upper middle scale housing obviously cost more than average housing. The cost is both in the initial output as well as the maintenance. If the toilet goes bad, try to recover as much as you can from any manufaturer's warranty and then go out and buy an new damn toilet.

Honestly, the most a toilet will cost is about $1,000. Unless, it is a really specialty item. In upscale housing, what's $1000. It is a drop in the bucket or as the bank that holds your jumbo mortgage says - "it's chump change".